Barlow Looks For Answers

By Brittany Lowe&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Mon 6:28 PM, Dec 03, 2012&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Tue 1:28 PM, Dec 04, 2012

Barlow Township tries to save a few dollars for the community by suggesting to contract out a single waste hauler.Now, it's been almost half a year since it's been discussed and the community wants answers.

"If the prices go down, that's great, that's part of the deal. I don't think forcing it on everybody that's not a good deal," explains one Barlow resident at the meeting.

Currently, those in Barlow Township are able to pick their own waste hauler or not pick one at all. Now township trustees are discussing contracting out one waste hauler to serve the entire township. "I was just wanting to save the people money," says Barlow Township Trustee, Richard Best. "I was wanting to bring forth a plan that you would accept or reject that would save Barlow Township money."

Township Trustees say this could cut nearly half the cost in waste hauling for most, but other say it's not always that simple. "I think a lot of people here would love to save money and I don't think they would mind if they went to one person, to some extent, if they know nothing is going to get them on the back side, if they know that five years from now, three years from now that someone is going to come in here and say, 'hey it's no longer 20 dollars a month, it's 150 a month,' and that's what I think a lot of people are afraid of because they've seen it happen too many times," says another Barlow Township resident at the meeting.

Many had issues with everyone being force to pay, even if they don't have trash sitting out front, meaning those who share trash or recycle. And while Trustee, Darren Roddy says he understands the concern, he says he can only hope the cost will be low enough to save the hassle, "if we can cut their bill by more than half or less than half they can just get their own so they won't have to take it across the road."

Also many noted they just didn't want to be told who they had to go with or the fact that the local independent waste hauler is thrown out.

"I don't want you, or you, or anybody else tell me 'you got to have this,' that's in the constitution," explains another resident.

One man even brought a petition to the meeting, with 485 signatures.A trustee says the petition isn't valid because no details have been decided.

"I've contacted a lot of people on here that signed for this and they didn't know what we were doing, why we were doing it, and what the savings could possibly be for them. They said if they would've known that, they wouldn't have signed it."

The meeting started with a little confusion. The Township trustees showed up expecting to speak with waste hauler contractors about pre-bids and the contract, but a full room of community members came with questions.

A lot was left unanswered because the trustees had not been able to ask the contractors themselves.

The Trustees met with with four possible waste hauler contractors to discuss the contract and bids.The Trustees say they will schedule a public meeting to better discuss it all once they have better answers.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.